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Official document · Season 0

The scorecard

100 points across five criteria. Published before entries open, which is what makes this a competition of skill rather than a drawing. Judges score both jars in a matchup during the same session, using this sheet and nothing else.

  1. 01

    Aroma

    20pts

    Nose intensity, complexity, terpene distinction, jar appeal

    Scored from the sealed jar on open, then again after a light break. Judges note dominant and secondary notes before assigning a number.

  2. 02

    Appearance

    15pts

    Structure, trichome coverage, trim quality, cure and moisture

    Evaluated under fixed neutral light at a fixed distance. Trim is judged on craft, not on machine-versus-hand.

  3. 03

    Flavor

    25pts

    Taste on inhale and exhale, retention through the bowl, harshness

    Assessed across a full bowl in clean glass. Judges rinse between samples and record whether flavor holds or drops off.

  4. 04

    Effect

    30pts

    Onset, character, duration, functionality

    The heaviest weight, and the reason sessions are capped. Scored no earlier than 45 minutes after the sample, with a mandatory hold before the next matchup.

  5. 05

    Finish

    10pts

    Burn quality, ash color, even combustion

    A flush and cure check as much as a burn check. Uneven canoeing and dark ash cost points here, not under Appearance.

Method

How a number becomes a result

  • 01Five judges independently score both entries in a matchup. Nobody sees another judge's sheet before submitting.
  • 02For each entry, the highest and lowest composite scores are discarded. The remaining three average to the final score.
  • 03The higher composite advances. A tie is broken by the Effect subtotal, then by Flavor.
  • 04Scores are absolute, not comparative — so an entry that loses its matchup can still outrank a winner from the other side of the bracket.
  • 05Every sheet is published after the season with the judge's name on it.

Bands

What a score means

ScoreBandReading
90–100ExceptionalCompetition-defining. Rare, and it should be.
80–89ExcellentClearly well-made. Wins most matchups.
70–79GoodSolid craft with one or two visible gaps.
60–69FairDrinkable, so to speak. Something went wrong somewhere.
Below 60FlawedA specific, identifiable defect. The scorecard says which.

Think a criterion is weighted wrong?

Say so now. The rubric is frozen once Season 0 entries open, and it does not change mid-season. Before that, it is still an argument worth having.

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